Anticholinergic Medications and Caries Status in Young Aged Xerostomia Patients

Objectives: Anticholinergic medication-induced xerostomia (oral dryness) has a serious implication on oral and general health. Clinically, xerostomia is often associated with decreased saliva flow (dry mouth), leading to rampant caries, damage to soft tissues, and reduced quality of life. The purpose of this retrospective study is to determine the prevalence of subjective symptoms of xerostomia and its association with medication use and dentition status in adults of 18-44 years of age.
Methods: A retrospective study was carried out at the Eastman Institute for Oral Health, Rochester, NY on adults between 18 and 44 years old who received a dental examination. A total of 236 adults were recruited based on the inclusion criteria of reported xerostomia. Patients with the dry mouth of known salivary gland damage from radiation or cancer treatment, Sjogren’s syndrome, and autoimmune diseases were excluded. Anticholinergic burden from medications was calculated for each patient by the anticholinergic drug score (ADS). Caries history as the primary outcome was evaluated using the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index. Regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated to predict DMFT based on the comorbidities, smoking, gender, age, the total number of medications, the total number of anticholinergic medications. Inferential analyses were performed using Chi-square and ANOVA tests.
Results: The overall regression was statistically significant (R2 = 36.27%, F (6) = 23.60, p = < .000).It was found that anticholinergic burden (ADS), cardiac conditions, neurological conditions, sleep apnea, dentition status (dentulous /edentulous), and completely edentulous status
are significantly predicted DMFT score.
Conclusions: The study identifies the association of anticholinergic drugs and xerostomia which further has an impact on the higher DMFT score. Additional higher evidence with the control group and bigger sample size is required to investigate this correlation in more depth.